Will doctors embrace new statin and heart attack prevention guidelines?

EmaxHealth ^ | 2013-11-12 | Kathleen Blanchard

[Armen Hareyan]

This new study, which dominated the news yesterday and today shows that what we were told about lowering cholesterol may be not true. What do you think?

[ruesrose]

I am unable to take statins, which my internist realized when I experienced a bad reaction from every kind, including natural statins such as red yeast rice.
But he also told me there was no real proof that statins were beneficial anyway.

[armydoc]

Statins have multiple protective effects apart from cholesterol lowering. Anti-inflammatory, plaque stabilizing and even antineoplastic effects to name a few.

[BitWielder1]

The ideal patient is someone on a lifelong regimen of a profitable drug.

[Westbrook]

I’ve read the fine print on statins. They destroy your liver.
No thanks.

I keep my cholesterol more-or-less in control with lots of structured exercise (cardio and weights) and drinking plenty of water.

[Paladin2]

Statins are apparently bad for your brain.

I suggest developing something to go along the artery walls like scrubbing bubbles and eat all of the deposits.

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Some livers are more durable than others. I’d factor family history into deciding whether or not to use statins, or alcohol, or acetaminophen , etc. If your family has no liver troubles, then go for it!

[Revelation 911]

had my own Dr suggest them this past month citing potential vascular dementia and possible sudden death - to which I responded - ....and the problem with sudden death is what?..Ive seen too many people die a slow death..

btw - my cholesterol is borderline....

[tips up]

Not up to doctors. Up to ‘Madame Secretary’ the the IPAB...

[spudville]

After 6 weeks of eating nothing but canned food and white rice in the North Dakota oil field I had a physical and the doc put me on a cholesterol lowering statin drug. After a few weeks I could barely lift my right arm from the muscle pain. I won’t take it any more. Not worth it. I know that when I’m home my wife makes healthy food from our garden most of the year and if I’ve had a good year hunting we eat mostly lean wild meat and fish.

[G Larry]

” New guidelines “ = DEATH PANELS

[Sacajaweau]

The bottom line is...twice as many people should be on statins....surprise, surprise !!!!!

Why does everyone think we want to live to 100?? There's too many stories that say....leave me alone.

[moovova]

•Restrict your salt intake to 3,600 milligrams (mg)/day (unless you’re told otherwise by your doctor)
•Eat 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and 6 to 8 servings of high fiber grains
•Consume 6 ounces of lean meat a day (fish or poultry)
•Indulge in 4 to 5 servings (about a handful) of nuts or legumes per week
•Limit trans and saturated fat intake and have two to three servings of healthy oils a day (olive, avocado, canola, safflower oils)
•Limit sweets and sugar. (TIP: An excellent choice to satisfy your sweet tooth is a square of dark chocolate)
•Get plenty of physical activity – 40 minutes of moderate to brisk aerobic activity like walking, swimming, jogging or cycling 3 to 4 times a week.
•Limit your red meat
•Eat and drink low-fat dairy products (TIP: Soy and almond milk are excellent substitutes for cow’s milk)

SCREW'EM.

[SixIron]

Spudville, the side effects of statins can be genetically initiated. You may be a slow metabolizer that causes your body to slowly convert the drug to an inactive form. This allows the blood level to exceed the therapeutic range, leading to side effects. The opposite can happen with fast metabolizers, resulting in sub-therapeutic levels. Likely you would be OK with a lower dose or an alternate statin. Lots of research being done on this in medical schools that have interest in personalized medicine.

[Anton.Rutter]

A five mile walk, a half an aspirin and a clove of live garlic every day. I`m tellin` ya.

[Westbrook]

> ’d factor family history into deciding whether or not to
> use statins, or alcohol, or acetaminophen , etc. If your
> family has no liver troubles, then go for it!

I don’t drink alcoholic beverages.

And I don’t take acetaminophen every day, as I would have to take statins.

Family doesn’t have any history with liver that I know of, but, then again, my parents were immigrants from a relatively primitive society (no doctors), so I would not know beyond my immediate parentage.

I prefer not to stress my liver if I can just exercise and drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day.

[SC DOC]

Statins are apparently bad for your brain.

Data Inconclusive

Much of the adverse cognitive changes have been anecdotal. A number of studies show that statins may actually prevent dementia.

[Digger]

I don't believe it. No one or study can definitely prove that high cholesterol causes heart attacks. People need it for repair of tissues. This is all a new way for the drug companies to make more money. I'm not ever buying into such.

[maine-iac7]

- info on dangers os statins been out there for years - which is why I refused to take them after my heart attack, and resultant CHF, almost 20 years ago.

ALL I take is enalopril

Ditto my son

docs can’t figure out why we’re so much healthier than expected =

(I also take hawthorne, magnesium and niacin)

[William Tell]

SC DOC said: "Much of the adverse cognitive changes have been anecdotal."

You can add my anecdote. I quit taking a statin because we were traveling and I didn't make the effort to keep taking them. When we returned home I simply didn't start taking them again. Within a few months I noticed that my intellectual curiosity was greatly increased. I began pursuing technical hobbies which I had previously abandoned.

Perhaps just a coincidence? I'll wait until there is strong evidence that there is not a connection.